You are here

Member-Owned Generation

Harnessing the power of renewables

To assist our members, we have developed a streamlined process that will ensure all members continue to have safe, reliable, efficient and cost-effective electricity.

Our mission is to protect the safety of cooperative personnel and member-consumers, maintain the integrity and reliability of the grid, and establish mechanisms to ensure rate fairness for all member-consumers. Member-owned generation interconnection rules that address those safety and reliability impacts as well as a net metering rate that ensures fairness across all members.

We are ready to help you by offering factual information and answering your questions. It is our goal to provide you with the tools you need to make an informed decision about adding generation to your home or business.

Information Section

Solar & Wind Interconnection

When a member desires to interconnect to the Cooperative’s distribution lines the following requirements must be met:

1. Complete an application for Operation of Member-Owned Generation form. This form begins the processing of the request to interconnect and is used by the Cooperative to determine the required equipment configuration for the generation interface.

2. Complete and sign the Whitewater Valley REMC Agreement for Interconnection and Parallel Operation of Distributed Generation (“Interconnection Agreement”) with the Cooperative that outlines specific terms, agreements and issues such as safety, insurance, responsibilities, charges, power quality and other pertinent issues. Along with the agreement the member shall submit a DG Plan, proof of insurance, and a $100 application fee.

3. The generation must comply with the requirements of the current National Electric Code (“NEC”), National Electric Safety Code (“NESC”), and other applicable National, State, and local codes and ordinances, including but not limited to IEEE 1547.

4. Safety of Cooperative personnel and protecting existing members from undesirable system operation is paramount. It will be the responsibility of the member to provide appropriate disconnects and protective devices to prevent inadvertent energizing of the distribution system during outages. Depending on the size of the generation system, the equipment shall also prevent unacceptable levels of voltage, frequency, power factor, short circuit current, harmonics or any other condition, that in the opinion of the cooperative could be detrimental to the operation of the distribution system.

5. Metering is required that is appropriate to measure power flow in both directions and is capable of meeting the requirements established by the Cooperative. The member shall pay for any additional metering costs needed to measure power flow in both directions.

6. Charges for power delivered by the Cooperative shall be billed monthly at the appropriate retail rate. Power produced and delivered to the Cooperative’s electric distribution system by the member will be purchased according to the Cooperative’s establishedDistributive Generation Purchase Tariff rate schedule.

7. Any interconnection agreement will be consistent with Whitewater Valley REMC’s wholesale power contracts and policies.

8. The member will be required to pay all costs incurred by Whitewater Valley REMC prior to interconnection for engineering studies and any upgrades to the Cooperative’s system that are needed to maintain power quality and system integrity.

Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives is a national network of electric cooperatives across 46 states that provides resources and leverages partnerships to help member cooperatives and their employees better engage and serve their members. By working together, Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives stand as a source of power and information to their 32 million member-owners every day.